Monday, January 9, 2012

Korea's next best export?

@idiotape @SeoulEM @edbangerrecords #11111101 #semf

In a country where the domineering president controls the media and the people are force-fed mass produced commercial bullshit for music (I am talking about the Republic of Korea [South Korea] and surprisingly not it's northern cousin [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] although there are striking similarities at times), it's great to see some talented musical acts actually getting noticed and god forbid pulling a reasonable audience/fan base.

I speak of Idiotape (이디오테잎), a Seoul based band who have recently (through VU entertainment) been pulling large crowds supporting huge artists with their blend of high-voltage, electronic shoegaze that gets the kids jumping. I first saw/discovered Idiotape at the 2010 Global Gathering, shortly after my arrival in Korea. On new years eve I watched them open for none other than Ed Banger heavyweights Feadz and SebastiAn. While their set was cut short due to a timing issue, they still got everyone warmed up for what was a wild evening. Earlier in the year, again at GGK, they packed the Blue Spirit stage to capacity and shattered the minds of crazed Koreans and foreigners alike. And as I prepare for to witness them bust out tunes off their very cool record 11111101 this weekend at the Seoul Electronic Music Festival (SEMF), supporting some french guys called Justice and this other little known group, Crystal Castles or palaces or forts or something, I am confident that they will again be as tight and professional as they have been on all previous occasions, delivering a sound that is unique in a land where the soundscape is rigorously dictated by the way the singer's look rather than sound.

This is a Korean band truly worth of international exposure. I hope that the groups they've played with recently will be testament to their quality and they will grow to some foreign acclaim.

If you're in Korea and want to enjoy a day/night of debauchery and splendid raging, get all the info and a ticket to SEMF here. Get Idiotape's record on iTunes here. You won't regret either purchase.